


Friends Forever

by PhoenixAD



Category: Chicago Fire
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:07:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28742229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixAD/pseuds/PhoenixAD
Summary: As we go on, we remember all the times we had together and as our lives change, come whatever, we will still be friends forever.Graduation (Friends Forever) - Vitamin COkay, if y'all follow me on Twitter, you see me missing Peter Mills on a daily basis. This fic is because of that. I'm planning it as a three part story, and I'm hopeful I'll get part two up tomorrow.
Relationships: Sylvie Brett & Matthew Casey, Sylvie Brett/Matthew Casey
Comments: 90
Kudos: 128





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> __
> 
> _As we go on, we remember all the times we had together and as our lives change, come whatever, we will still be friends forever._
> 
> __
> 
> _Graduation (Friends Forever) - Vitamin C_
> 
> Okay, if y'all follow me on Twitter, you see me missing Peter Mills on a daily basis. This fic is because of that. I'm planning it as a three part story, and I'm hopeful I'll get part two up tomorrow. 

“Hey Sylvie.” Cruz dropped into the seat next to her at the table. “What do you want to do for game night?”

“I don’t know.” Sylvie shrugged. “I’m not feeling it this month. We can just skip it. Or you can do it without me.”

“Skip it?” They hadn’t skipped a game night since they started it at the beginning of quarantine; it had been Sylvie’s idea to start up a monthly game night. “You sure?”

“Yeah.” Sylvie picked her mug up and stood up, leaving Cruz and Stella sharing a questioning look.

“What was that about?” Cruz whispered.

Stella sighed. “She’s been in a mood for a week now. She won’t talk to me about it. Won’t talk to Foster either.”

“Huh.” Cruz looked towards the bunk room where she had disappeared and stood up, setting out to find her; she was on her bunk, a book open in her lap that she wasn’t looking at. “Okay, what’s up?”

“What do you mean?”

“What’s up with you?” Cruz asked. “You’ve been off lately. Is it about what happened with Halleck?”

“No.” Sylvie replied, just as Matt walked out of his office towards the kitchen; she waited until he was out of sight to speak again. “I’m fine, I promise. I’m just not feeling like it this weekend.”

He would’ve believed her, had he not just been watching her face when Matt had walked by; Cruz knew they’d gotten closer over the past two years, but now that he thought about it, he hadn’t seen them talking lately.

“Right.” Cruz nodded. “Are you sure that’s it?”

“Of course.”

“It’s nothing to do with the Captain?” Cruz asked. “Did you have some kind of fight?”

If there was one person she definitely would not talk to about Matt, it was Cruz; he’d go into full on overprotective mode.

“No, we’re fine.”

**Ambulance 61.**

“Looks like I gotta go.” Sylvie smiled. “Thanks for your concern, but I’m fine, really!”

He watched her hurry away. A few seconds later, Matt walked by, coffee mug in his hand.

“Hey Captain, you got a minute?” Cruz followed behind him towards his quarters.

“Sure.” Matt sat down at his desk. “What’s up?”

“Do you know what’s going on with Brett?”

Matt’s grip on his coffee mug tightened as he shifted in his chair. “Should I?”

“Well, you two seemed to have gotten pretty tight these last couple of years, and she won’t talk to me, or Kidd so I thought maybe she’d have talked to you.”

She hadn’t talked to Stella? Matt assumed that was the first thing she would’ve done.

“I don’t know what to tell you.” Matt would not be the one to tell anybody if she didn’t want to. “I’m sure she’d talk about whatever’s going on if she wanted to.”

Cruz’s eyes narrowed; he knew Matt, and he knew Sylvie, and there was definitely something off.

“Yeah, probably.” Cruz nodded. “Unless she thought it was something that would cause any kind of tension, of course. She knows how overprotective I can get, and Stella’s really no better.”

Matt knew he was right; Sylvie would know that telling either of them the truth would cause tension. It made sense; she hadn’t told anybody to protect him.

“I don’t know.” Matt sighed. “I’ve got a lot of paperwork, so if there’s nothing else...”

“Right. Talk to you later, Captain.”

* * *

“Yeah, I assume it’s about Casey too.”

Matt had been heading towards his locker, but he stopped in his tracks as the sound of Stella’s voice.

“What do you know?” Cruz asked.

Stella sighed. “I know she likes him, or did, I don’t know if that’s still the case.”

He knew he should walk away, but he stayed frozen in his spot.

“Likes him?”

“Are you blind, Cruz?” Stella laughed. “Everybody else figured this out months ago.”

“So what happened?”

“I have no idea. She won’t talk to me.”

“Do you think she’s trying to protect him?” Cruz asked. “Cause I gotta assume that’s the only reason she wouldn’t talk to us.”

“Cruz, I literally don’t know.”

Cruz sighed. “Who do you think she’d talk to?”

“She hasn’t told Foster, I asked her about it. Maybe because Emily would want to drop everything and rush to her apartment, and that’s not safe. I don’t know. I don’t know who else she’ll talk to.”

“In the old days I would’ve said Gabby, but that’s definitely out.”

“Definitely.” Stella agreed.

Matt heard footsteps and quickly turned around, heading back out of the locker room; he wasn’t paying attention and almost walked straight into Kelly in the hall.

“You okay, man?” Kelly asked.

“Yeah, all good.”

“If you say so.” Kelly shrugged, moving past him.

Matt sighed, leaning against the wall.

He already felt guilty for what had happened between him and Sylvie, but the idea she wasn’t telling her closest friends about it to protect him added another layer to it.

Matt was sure Stella and Cruz were right; she wouldn’t tell them to keep the tension out of the house, she wouldn’t tell Emily because she wouldn’t want her to come over in the middle of a pandemic, which she definitely would.

Sighing, Matt sat down on the bench in the hall, looking up at the photos on the wall.

The group picture from Sylvie’s first year at 51 put a smile on his face; she had one arm thrown around Otis and the other around Mills, a huge smile on her face.

The picture gave him an idea, and he pulled his phone out of his pocket as he stood up, scrolling for the contact and hitting the call button as soon as he was in his quarters.

“Casey?”

“Yeah, it’s me.” Matt sat down on his bunk.

“Is everything okay? It’s been a long time.”

“Yeah, everything’s okay.” Matt watched out his window as Sylvie walked past. “I know it’s been a long time, that’s part of why I’m calling.”

“Okay, what’s up?”

_ Here goes nothing, _ Matt thought. “I was wondering if you’d be up for a trip to Chicago.”

* * *

Sylvie stood in front of the mirror in her bathroom, running her fingers through her hair; she wanted a change.

She’d always thought about dyeing her hair. Maybe it was time she finally did it. She’d never been brave enough yet, maybe this was the year.

Sighing and shaking her head, Sylvie dropped her hand from her hair; she knew it was a bad idea to consider changing her hair during bad times. She’d heard, and seen, enough horror stories of regret from her friends who cut or dyed their hair during breakups to know it was a bad idea.

The sound of knocking on the door made her freeze; she wasn’t expecting anybody, and the last unexpected guest she’d gotten had been Matt, the night everything had fallen apart.

She assumed it was a safe bet it wouldn’t be Matt this time, so she left her bathroom, hurrying towards the front door as the knocking continued.

“I’m coming.” Sylvie grumbled, fully aware that whoever was on the other side of the door couldn’t hear her; Sylvie yanked the door open and took a step backwards when she saw her old partner standing on the other side of the door.

Peter leaned against the door frame, a grin on his face. “Hey partner.”

“Pete!” Sylvie threw her arms around his neck, and his arms wrapped around her as he lifted her off the ground in a hug. “What are you doing here?”

“Surprising you, obviously.” Peter grinned.

“I can’t believe you’re here.” Sylvie couldn’t wipe the grin off her face if she tried. “It’s been so long.”

“I know. Too long.” Peter nodded. “I should have come a long time ago, or at least tried harder to stay in touch.”

“It’s life, you know? Time just goes by and it’s hard to stay in touch with everybody.” Sylvie shrugged. “I’m just so happy to see you. Do you want a beer?”

“Sure.” Peter looked around the living room while Sylvie grabbed beers from the fridge, his eyes landing on the photo on the TV center. “Who’s baby?”

“Uh, that’s my baby sister, Amelia.” Sylvie smiled, handing him a bottle of beer as he raised an eyebrow.

“You have a baby sister?”

“Long story.” Sylvie sighed.

“Well, I’m all yours for the next four days. I’m sure we have plenty of time.” Peter smiled. “Come on, I want to hear all about the last few years.”

“I don’t know where to even start.” Sylvie chuckled, sitting down on the couch. “It’s been what, five years?”

Peter sat down next to her on the couch. “Something like that.”

“Uh, let’s go over the major events from everybody at 51.” Sylvie laughed. “Let’s see... Cruz is married now. It might surprise you to learn Severide is in a stable, serious relationship now.”

“That is surprising.”

“She’s the best. One of my best friends in this world, honestly.” Sylvie smiled. “Uh, what else... well... Casey got promoted to Captain, married and then divorced from Gabby, who’s now out of the country. Those are the big things, I guess. Except... losing Otis.”

“I heard about Otis.” Peter sighed. “I wanted to come back for the service but... I don’t know, I guess I didn't want to come back to Chicago on such a sad note.”

“Yeah.” Sylvie sighed. “Losing Otis was... devastating. We have a beautiful memorial in front of 51.”

Peter nodded. “I’m planning to go out to the grave while I’m here.”

“Maybe I’ll go with you, if you don’t mind the company.” Sylvie smiled sadly. “It’s been too long since I’ve gone.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Peter’s phone rang, and he pulled it out of his pocket, quickly silencing the call. “Okay, let’s hear about your life the last few years.”

“Let’s see... two pretty disastrous relationships, one of which ended with a broken engagement, the other with somebody you knew and would’ve never expected.” Sylvie sighed. “Four, no, five partners on Ambo if you include Gabby.”

“Well, now I’m curious about this ‘would’ve never expected’ relationship.” Peter laughed.

“Antonio.”

“Antonio Dawson?” His eyes widened. “You dated Antonio?”

“Yeah.” Sylvie chuckled. “It... was messy.”

“I can’t picture it.” Peter admitted. “And the other relationship?”

“His name was Kyle. He was the Chaplin.” Sylvie smiled. “A nice guy, really. But we broke up, and then randomly he showed up, proposed and asked me to move out of state, which I did, but it couldn’t work. Chicago and 51 are my family.”

“And your baby sister? The story there?”

“Did I ever tell you I was adopted?”

“Yeah, I remember you saying something about it.”

“Yeah, um, my birth mother, Julie, she reached out to me back in the spring.” Sylvie sighed. “She was pregnant at the time. We bonded pretty quickly. But then she died during childbirth.”

“I’m so sorry, Sylvie.”

Sylvie shook her head. “Let’s talk about something other than my life’s disasters. How have you been?”

* * *

“I’m so happy for you. I’m glad the restaurant has done so well. Although, with your cooking, how could it not?” Sylvie laughed. “Well, what about your personal life, though? Anybody special in your life?”

“No.” Peter laughed. “I’ve dated here and there, but nobody seriously.”

“It’s a mystery how nobody has snatched you up.” Sylvie smiled. “Nice guys like you are so rare.”

Peter shrugged. “What about you? You mentioned exes, but what about these days?”

Sylvie sighed, her mind flashing to Matt. “Nope.”

“You were always a terrible liar.”

“It’s... not a lie, exactly.” Sylvie sighed. “This goes no further than the two of us, okay? Nobody at 51 needs to know about this.”

“Your secrets are always safe with me.” Peter promised.

“I told you how Gabby left Chicago, and her and Casey got divorced.” Sylvie started. “Well, in the last couple of years, we’ve gotten really close. He’s one of my best friends, really. He was really my rock through everything with my birth mom.”

Peter nodded; suddenly Matt’s call to him made a lot more sense. “Okay, so you two started dating or something?”

“Not exactly.” Sylvie sighed. “We... okay, I’ll have to tell this whole story for this to make sense. It really spiraled from a call.”

Sylvie launched into the story of Halleck and the ambulance crash, and Matt’s heroics that she found out about later.

“So, let me make sure I understand correctly.” Peter sat his beer down on the coffee table, turning to look at her. “You discover somebody you basically admitted to being in love with jumped out of a moving truck to get to you in a dangerous situation, and your response is to stand up and make an excuse to get out of there?”

“Yeah.” Sylvie nodded. “And then avoid him all of the next shift.”

“Just wanted to make sure I got that straight. It makes no sense. Continue.”

“It made perfect sense to me.” Sylvie sighed. “After I avoided him all shift, he showed up here to ask why. I kissed him, and then I asked about Gabby.”

“I see.” Peter sighed.

“Yeah.” Sylvie closed her eyes, willing the tears to go away. “I asked what he’d do if she came back, and he said he didn’t know. And then I said how I knew he’d still been in love with her all along, and he said it was more complicated than that.”

If anybody in the world knew what she felt like, it was Peter Mills; he scooted closer on the couch, wrapping his arm around her. “I’m sorry, Sylvie. You deserve better than that.”

“It’s my fault, really.” Sylvie wiped at her eyes, having failed miserably to stop the tears, before burying her head in his chest. “I knew better.”

“I know I haven’t been around Casey in years, but the guy I knew didn’t seem like the type to lead you on. Did you ever ask him to elaborate on what he meant by ‘it’s complicated’?”

“Not exactly.” Sylvie sighed. “We talked a little the next shift, but it didn’t go well. He kept... I don’t know, not exactly avoiding it, but gave all these vague answers. I don’t want to be a second choice, but if he can’t answer these questions with a straightforward answer, obviously I always would be.”

“I’ve been in your shoes, believe me, there’s nobody else that can relate more to worrying about being the third person in the Gabby and Matt story.” Peter stated. “But maybe it’s not that simple.”

“It is.”

“Sylvie, let me let you in on a little secret here.” Peter laughed. “Men, even the best of us, are idiots, and most of us can’t communicate to save our lives.”

“Yeah, that much I know.” Sylvie gave a watery laugh. “Let’s talk about something else, okay? I don’t want to be crying on your shoulder your whole trip.”

“I don’t mind.” Peter smiled. “But yeah, let’s cheer you up. Are you hungry? I can cook.”

“As much as I hate to turn down a Peter Mills dinner, we’d have to go shopping. I’ve been living off takeout for weeks.” Sylvie admitted.

“That’s tragic.” Peter laughed. “Okay, let’s go shopping.”

* * *

As they walked through the grocery store, Peter grabbed ingredients for actual meals while Sylvie tossed junk food into the cart.

Sylvie paused as they walked past the personal care aisle with hair products; Peter stopped, turning back to look at her.

“What?”

“This might sound insane.” Sylvie laughed as she ran her fingers through her hair. “But there’s something I’ve always wanted to do and I’ve never had the nerve.”

Peter raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

“Dye my hair.”

“Really?” Peter laughed. “You should do it. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Is it embarrassing if I say I’m worried what people will think?” Sylvie bit her lip. “Is it really me?”

“Sylvie, it’s hair. Nobody is going to care. And it’s you if you want it to be you.” Peter shrugged. “If it’s something you want to do, do it.”

“You’re right. I should.” Sylvie exclaimed. “It’s just hair, right? No big deal.”

“Exactly.” Peter pushed the cart down the aisle to the hair color. “There’s no time like the present.”

“Now?”

“Why not?” Peter shrugged.

Sylvie grinned. “You’re right. Why not?”

* * *

Sylvie was blow drying her newly colored hair when she thought she heard Peter talking to her; she was still in her robe, but she tied it closed and walked out of her bathroom.

“You say something, Pete?” Sylvie paused when she realized he was on the phone, back to her as he worked in the kitchen.

“Hey, I’ll talk to you later. Yeah. Bye.” Peter ended his call and turned around to see her. “Wow, that really looks great.”

Sylvie shook her hair out. “I’m actually thrilled with it.”

“Pink suits you.” Peter smiled. “You look great.”

“Thank you.” Sylvie smiled. “Thank you for convincing me to do it.”

“You just needed a little push.” He laughed. “Dinner’s almost ready.”

“It smells amazing. I’ll go get dressed.” Sylvie paused. “I’m sure you’re planning to go to Molly’s after dinner?”

Peter shrugged. “I’m not worried about it. We can watch a movie if you don’t feel like it.”

“Are you sure?” Sylvie asked. “I feel guilty monopolizing your time when you haven’t been in Chicago in five years.”

“I’ve got plenty of time. I can see everybody tomorrow.”

Sylvie hesitated. “If you’re sure...”

“It’s fine, Sylvie.” Peter laughed. “Go get dressed. It’s time for dinner.”

Sylvie nodded, stepping into her bedroom and closing the door behind her; if she wasn’t going to Molly’s, she’d just throw some sweats on.

Once she was in her comfortable clothes, she looked at herself in the mirror; she really did love the pastel pink. She’d gone for a dye that would only last a few weeks in case she hadn’t loved it, and she couldn’t really imagine herself keeping it for much longer than that, anyway, but for right now, it was a needed change from her normal.

“Are you sure you’re okay with skipping on Molly’s?” Sylvie asked as they sat on her couch, debating what to watch on Netflix, after eating dinner.

“I’ll see everybody tomorrow.” Peter laughed. “It’s fine.”

Sylvie turned her head to look at him. “Not that I’m not thrilled to have you here, cause I totally am, why are you in Chicago? You didn’t drive all the way here to hang out with me and listen to me whine about my love life.”

Except, of course, he had; he’d done exactly that. Matt had called and said Sylvie was going through a rough time and that he thought seeing him would cheer her up, and Peter had immediately told his sister he’d be gone for a few days, and drove to Chicago. He’d also promised Matt that he wouldn’t tell Sylvie that he’d called and asked.

“I missed Chicago. 51.” Peter shrugged.

“Yeah, but why now?” Sylvie pressed. “There’s gotta be a reason. You didn’t even call to give anybody a heads up.”

“I had the time, and the point of a surprise is not to tell anybody ahead of time.” Peter laughed. “Do you want to watch something serious or something funny?”

Sylvie was pretty sure there was something Peter wasn’t telling her, but she’d drop it for now; she had four days to figure it out.

“Something funny, for sure.”

They picked out a comedy and settled in with their drinks.

“Pete?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m really happy you’re here.” Sylvie smiled. “I really missed you.”

“I’ve really missed you too.”


	2. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm going to put a very mild spoiler warning for 9x03 here, because I kind of worked a scene from it into this, or part of it, anyways. I had based it off a spoiler. So, proceed with caution if you haven't watched it? It's really small, though.

“So much has changed.” Peter remarked as they walked down the street towards Molly’s; they’d spent the afternoon visiting some of his favorite spots in town, after visiting Otis’ grave and the memorial at 51 in the morning. “I don’t recognize half the stores and restaurants.”

“Yeah.” Sylvie nodded. “A lot of its recent. COVID caused a lot of businesses to shut down. A lot of them couldn’t afford to stay afloat. It’s been incredibly depressing.”

“Yeah, I know.” Peter replied as they rounded the corner in front of Molly’s. “Well, this hasn’t changed at all, though.” 

“Not really inside either.” Sylvie laughed. “Just added the patio.” 

Peter opened the door for her and she stepped inside, glancing around the bar; the only person inside was Stella, and she had her back to them, spinning around towards the sound of the door with a bottle of tequila in hand. 

“Hey! Oh my god!” Stella exclaimed. “You dyed your hair!” 

“It’s not permanent.” Sylvie laughed. “But I wanted a change. What do you think?”

“I love it.” Stella smiled. “And who’s your friend?”

“This is Peter Mills.” Sylvie grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the bar. “Pete, this is Stella Kidd.” 

“Right. I recognize you now from pictures around the house.” Stella laughed. “It’s great to meet you, I’ve heard a lot of stories.” 

“Nice to meet you.” Peter smiled. “You must be  _ the  _ Stella that Sylvie told me all about.” 

“Must be.” Stella grinned. 

“Stella, do y-” Kelly stopped mid-sentence when he walked in from the patio and saw Peter. “Pete!” 

Sylvie smiled and leaned against the bar as Peter went to greet Kelly. 

“Can I get a glass of Rosé?” 

“Yeah, of course.” Stella grinned. “You didn’t mention him coming into town.” 

“I didn’t know.” Sylvie laughed. “He showed up yesterday without warning.” 

“He’s cute.” Stella whispered with a grin. 

Sylvie laughed, grabbing the wine glass from Stella. “Don’t.” 

“Come on, let’s go see everybody.” Sylvie linked her arm through Peter’s. “Everybody’s going to be so thrilled.” 

“I like the hair, Brett.” Kelly grinned. “It’s unexpected, but it works.”

“Thanks.” Sylvie laughed, pulling Peter out the door. “Hey everybody, look who’s here!” 

Everybody from 51 jumped up to greet him, and Sylvie stepped to the side to give them some space and found an empty table; she scanned the crowd, looking for Matt, but he wasn’t among them. She wasn’t sure if it relieved her or if it just made her sadder. 

* * *

“Pink, huh?” Sylvie startled at the sound of Matt’s voice from behind her. “I like it.”

“Uh, yeah.” As he walked around the table, sitting across from her, Sylvie took in the sight of his leather jacket, a look she’d rarely seen on him, which was a shame to her; it was a good look. “I just wanted a change.”

“Yeah, I remember you wanting to do it years ago.” Matt absentmindedly reached out, touching her hair; Sylvie tensed and he jerked his hand away. “It looks good.” 

“It’s just temporary.” Sylvie admitted, masking her surprise that he remembered an offhand comment she’d made years ago. “Pete talked me into it.”

“I haven’t made my way through the crowd to say hello to him yet.” Matt laughed. “I better, but uh, the pink was more surprising than him being here.” 

“I don’t know about that.” She laughed as he stood up; she watched him join the group surrounding Peter, pushing his way through to hug him. 

“You seem in a better mood today.” Stella exclaimed as she took the seat Matt had just left. “It’s good to see.” 

“Yeah, sorry that I’ve been kind of... distant lately.” Sylvie sighed. 

“Yeah, what’s been going on with you?” Stella asked. “You know you can tell me anything.” 

“I know. I just...” Sylvie glanced around the patio; everybody seemed preoccupied, chatting with Peter. “Matt and I kind... well, we kissed, and I’m not going to go into it here and now, but it didn’t end well.” 

Stella had assumed something had happened with Matt, so she couldn’t pretend it shocked her. “Oh.” 

“Yeah.” Sylvie nodded. “I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you. I’ve been in kind of a tailspin over it.” 

“How was the kiss?” Sylvie scoffed in response, flashing a disbelieving look at her best friend, who ignored her. “I mean, was it good?” 

“It was.” Sylvie kept her expression blank. “So not helpful, Stella.” 

Stella smirked, picking up her drink. “My bad.” 

“You’ve been watching too much reality TV.” Sylvie chuckled. “This isn’t The Bachelor.”

“I know, I’m sorry.” Stella sighed. “But unless you want to explain the details, I don’t know what to say.” 

“You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted you to know why I’ve been so off.” 

“When you’re ready to talk, I’m here.” Stella stated. 

“I know.” 

“I better go, I left Herrmann manning the bar alone.” Stella laughed. “I’ll talk to you later, okay? And go sit with everybody else, this is just sad.”

* * *

Sylvie’s laughter and the smile on her face was like a breath of fresh air to Matt after the past week and a half, even if she was, in what he knew was a deliberate action, refusing to look in his direction; they’d pushed a few tables together to make enough room for everybody to sit together, and she’d sat as far away from him as possible. 

Everybody from 51 had turned up as word spread about Peter being in town, Boden and Donna had been the last from the house to join before part of Intelligence had arrived; Jay, Kim, Adam, and Kevin squeezed around the already crowded table. 

The bar was essentially self-serve as Herrmann and Stella had joined everybody, but they’d closed up to everybody that weren’t friends. 

“Hey, how are you two holding up after the Halleck thing?” Kim turned towards Sylvie and Gianna. 

“All good.” Gianna replied. 

“Yeah.” Sylvie agreed. “Been through worse.” 

“Like Lullo?” Peter laughed. 

“Yeah, that was way worse.” Sylvie laughed. 

“What?” Gallo asked. “Who’s Lullo?” 

“He was a mobster.” Jay answered. “Locked up now.” 

“What happened?” Gianna asked. 

“Back when Pete was my partner on 61, we got a call to a pool. This teenage boy had drowned. He was awake and alert when we loaded him on Ambo, and his dad had shown up.” Sylvie explained. “But on route to Med, he coded. Secondary drowning. We weren’t able to save him.” 

“His father - Lullo - blamed us. Well, me, mostly. I was the one in the back of the ambulance with his son.” Peter continued the story. “He was furious. He’d shown up at the house to threaten me, then a few days later, claiming he had calmed down, came back and apologized.” 

“Which, of course, was a lie.” Sylvie shook her head. 

“Yeah, we ended up on getting sent on a call in this alleyway and it was a setup. A car blocked us in and they put us in zip ties and took us.” 

“And this guy is insane.” Sylvie pointed at Peter with a laugh. “And suddenly he’s just like ‘Brett, brace yourself’ and he kicks the back of the driver’s seat with enough force that the guy crashed the car. It could’ve killed us all!” 

“But it didn’t.” Peter laughed. “We ended up at this warehouse, for hours, basically having to do surgery on one of these guys. We sneaked a razor blade at one point, and Sylvie got out of her zip ties and grabs one of their guns and pointed it at them.”

“Sylvie?” Stella looked over at her. “Sylvie Brett aimed a gun at someone?”

Sylvie shrugged. “It bought us enough time for us to get found.” 

“No wonder you were so calm about Halleck. It wasn’t the first time you’d had a gun aimed at you.” Gianna commented. 

“Or the scariest.” Sylvie stated. “That’s definitely Lullo’s guys.” 

“First time you have a gun pointed at you is always the scariest.” Kim stated. 

“It wasn’t the first time.” Sylvie commented without thinking, picking up her drink. 

“Wait, what?” Matt had kept quiet most of the night, but if he remembered correctly, and he was pretty sure he did, the Lullo incident had only been two months after she arrived in Chicago. “What was the first?” 

Sylvie sighed. “Remember the helicopter crash?” 

“Hard to forget.” Kelly laughed. “Not something you see every day.” 

“There was a guy hit by debris in a van nearby. It was obvious pretty quick he was shady. There was a bag full of fake passports in the front seat.” Sylvie explained. “And Pete got called to go help someone else, and this guy comes to and points a gun at me and tells me to leave.” 

“Did you?” Gallo asked. 

“Of course not. I told him I was trying to save his life, and I didn’t give a damn about whatever illegal crap he was into, and convinced him to let me help him.” Sylvie shrugged. 

“You’re kind of a badass, Brett.” Gianna laughed. 

“Exactly how many times have you had guns pointed at you?” Gallo asked. 

“Uh, four? No... five? Six, if you count the time we were stuck in the building with the active shooters, but most of us were there for that. No, seven, if you count Halleck twice.” 

“Jesus, Brett.” Peter laughed. “You’re a gun magnet.” 

Sylvie shrugged. “As long as I’m not a bullet magnet, I guess I’m fine. I’ve never actually gotten shot. It’s not like I’m the only one at 51 that’s stared down the barrel of a gun. I know Casey has at least twice, and he was actually shot.” 

“You were?” Gallo turned towards Matt. “How?” 

Mart was still looking at Sylvie; he’d never realized how many times she’d almost gotten shot, and that knowledge terrified him. She was a gun magnet; what if she ended up getting hurt, or worse? He could feel the panic in chest at the idea. 

“Earth to Case.” Kelly laughed, tossing a balled up napkin at him, smacking him in the chest with it. 

Matt’s eyes turned to Kelly in a glare. “What?”

“Dude, Gallo asked you a question about how you ended up shot?” 

“51 was held hostage, I got shot in the arm closing the doors so Ambo couldn’t pull in. It wasn’t exactly a serious injury.” Matt shrugged. “Barely have a scar.” 

“You people are remarkably chill about having guns pointed at you and getting shot at.” Gianna shook her head. “Crazy. You all seem to lack any genuine fear of injury.” 

“Like jumping out of a moving truck?” Gallo quipped. “That was pretty crazy.” 

Sylvie glanced towards Matt for the first time since she’d sat down at the table, just in time to see him sigh and rub his face. 

“What are you talking about?” Boden directed the question at Gallo, glancing back and forth between him and Matt. “What is he talking about?”

“Not that big of a deal, Chief.” Matt should’ve known that leaving that out of his report would eventually come back to haunt him, especially since Gallo repeated the story to everybody who would listen. “61 was in danger.” 

Boden glanced between Matt and Sylvie, both of whom refused to meet his eye. “We’ll discuss that on shift.” 

Gallo leaned over towards Matt. “I’m sorry, Captain.” 

Matt shrugged; he knew he’d get a lecture from Boden on shift, if not for his reckless actions, for leaving out major details on his reports, but he’d deal with that. He’d do it all over again if he had to. 

* * *

“I’m going to head back to my apartment.” Sylvie put her hand on Peter’s shoulder as she stood behind him. “I’m sure somebody will be happy to give you a ride back later if you want to stay?”

“Oh no, you don’t get to hog Pete the entire time he’s here.” Kelly laughed. “He can crash at our place tonight.” 

Sylvie shrugged. “Up to you, Pete. I’m sure their couch is a lot more comfortable than mine.” 

“Uh...”

“It’s fine with me, don’t feel guilty.” Sylvie laughed. “I’ll see you in the morning. You’re still planning on hanging out at 51, right?” 

“Of course.” Peter nodded. “Yeah, okay. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Sylvie smiled and waved. “Have a good night, everyone.” 

A chorus of goodnights’ followed from her friends as she walked away. 

Matt watched her walk away and forced himself to stay seated; he wanted to talk to her, he always wanted to talk to her, but her words from his office a few shifts before looped in his head, reminding him she wanted space. 

Feeling his eyes on him, Matt glanced towards Peter; it wasn’t the first time he’d noticed Peter watching him, which he took to mean Sylvie had told him about them. 

Which was a good thing, Matt reminded himself; at least she was talking to someone, even if it wasn’t him, even if he knew Peter would undoubtedly call him out for his behavior. 

“I think I’m going to call it a night too.” Matt stood up. “I’ll see you in the morning.” 

* * *

Matt was sitting on the couch, watching some crime documentary he wasn’t paying much attention to; he didn’t watch a lot of TV, but sitting alone with his thoughts lately hadn’t done him any good. 

The front door opened, Stella stumbling in, Kelly directly behind her, his hand in hers, both of them laughing; Peter followed them in with a grin on his face. 

“Good night!” Stella exclaimed as they headed for their bedroom. 

“Yeah, good night.” Kelly laughed. 

The door to their room closed with enough force for Matt to guess they had kicked it closed, not pushed. “Did they switch from beer to something harder after I left?” 

“Oh, yeah.” Peter laughed, looking around the apartment. “This is a nice place.” 

“It’s Severide’s, technically.” Matt shrugged. “There was a fire at my place, and I only planned to be here temporarily, but that was almost three years ago, and they don’t seem in any hurry to get me out.” 

“Stella seems great.” 

“She is. She’s great.” 

“You know, if someone had told me before I got here that of you and Severide, one of you were in a stable relationship and the other was being an emotionally stunted idiot, I wouldn’t have been surprised.” Peter stated as he sat down on the other end of the couch. “But if you had told me who was who in that situation, I wouldn’t have believed it.” 

“I didn’t call you because I wanted advice on my life, Pete.” Matt sighed, standing up to grab another beer from the fridge. “I called you to cheer Sylvie up.”

“And I’m glad you did, because she needed it.” Peter replied. “But I’m here now, and whether or not you want my advice, you’re gonna hear it. Because all due respect, Captain, you’re being an idiot.” 

“Look, I don’t know what Sylvie told you, but -”

“And you’re not going to, because what she said stays between us.” Peter stated. “I’m basing this conversation on what I’ve seen tonight, and that is that you know how you feel about her, and you’re being an idiot because you aren’t doing a damn thing about it.” 

“I forgot about the nerve you’ve got, Mills. I’ll give you that. You never were one that was afraid to say what he thought, you never backed down. I respect that.” Matt sighed as he sat down. “You and Dawson had that in common.” 

“Yeah, Gabby and I were a lot alike.” Peter nodded. “The same way you and Brett are a lot alike.” 

“Say what you want to say, Pete, so I can go to bed. I’m on shift in the morning.” 

“That woman is the best thing that could ever happen to you, and you know it.” 

“Yeah.” Matt leaned his head back against the back of the couch. “Well aware.” 

“You clearly adore her. That much I can see, that much anybody can see.” Peter exclaimed. “That’s the only word I can think of to describe it. Adoration, the way you look at her.” 

“Because I do.” Matt wasn’t trying to hide how he felt about Sylvie from anyone; all his friends would see right through it if he had. 

“It’s not the way you used to look at Gabby. That was different.” Peter shrugged. “I wasn’t around for the later years of you two, but I saw the beginning. And believe me, I was watching it. The hot and cold. The on and off. But even on the best day, you didn’t look at her like that.” 

“It doesn’t matter.” Matt picked up his beer off the coffee table. “Sylvie is the one that said it wasn’t going to happen and said she wanted space.” 

“For a smart guy, you really are being a dumbass.” Peter groaned. “She doesn’t mean that, Casey. I don’t need her to tell me anything to know that, I’ve been there, and trust me, she does not mean that.” 

“I can only go on what she tells me.” 

“Or you can use some damn common sense.” Peter rolled his eyes. “I’ve been in her place, and I can guarantee that all she wants is to know you’re not in love with Gabby, and that you’re going to choose her if Gabby ever came back.”

“I haven’t even thought about her in months.” Matt stated. “Gabby’s not an issue.”

“Jesus, no wonder she told you it wasn’t going to happen.” Peter shook his head. “Do you not see the issue in what you just said? Just because something isn’t an issue to you, doesn’t mean it isn’t to Sylvie.”

“I tried to tell her.” Matt defended himself. “I -”

“Did you, or did you just give her vague statements?” Peter shot him a knowing look. “As far as I can tell, lack of communication is the actual issue here. If Gabby isn’t an issue, you’re over it, and you don’t want her back, just tell Brett. No vague answers. Just tell her. It’s not that complicated.” 

“I haven’t set out to give her vague answers. I just keep putting my foot in my mouth and turn into some kind of idiot when I’m around her.” Matt groaned. “If you had seen some of the awkward things I did around her before we kissed, you’d know. Ask literally anybody at 51, they’ve all noticed.” 

“I have faith you’ll figure it out.” Peter laughed. “Or I swear to god, I’ll just lock you two in a room together until you do. I’m not leaving Chicago with Brett being broken-hearted.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was hoping I'd have finished part 3 today so I could get it up tomorrow, but I've been all wrapped up in my Brettsey angst since watching 9x03 last night, so hopefully I'll get it done by Saturday! I've had part 3 planned out in my head since before part 1 and 2, so hopefully I can write it quick once I actually start, lol. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed part two!
> 
> As always, you can find me on tumblr (atiredfangirl) or on twitter (@chifirefangirl).


	3. Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Part 3 is finally here! I really wanted to get it up over the weekend, but real life was kicking my ass, so here it is!

“Is it weird?” Sylvie asked. “Being back here at 51?” 

“I thought it would be, but no.” Peter shook his head as they walked down the hallway; she, and the rest of the house, had just returned from the scene of a multi-car crash. “It still feels like home.” 

“Do you ever think about coming back?” 

“Some times.” He admitted. “It’s not like the restaurant needs me. My mom and sister are fully capable of running it.” 

“We’d love to have you back in Chicago, you know.” Sylvie bumped her shoulder into his. “We’ve all missed you.” 

“And I’ve missed everybody.” Peter sighed. “I think above all, I’ve missed helping people.” 

“As much as I want you back here, you know there’s endless ways to help people.” Sylvie chuckled. “Look at Gabby. She left, and she’s still helping people. There’s so many ways.” 

**Ambulance 61.**

“I’ll see you when I get back!” Sylvie hurried off. 

Peter glanced into Matt’s quarters, but it was empty; Kelly looked up as Peter walked by. 

“Is it weird not to be running towards the apparatus floor when bells go off?” 

“A little, yeah.”

“You should still be here, at 51.” 

Peter raised an eyebrow. “You gonna get sentimental on me?” 

“No.” Kelly laughed. “It’s just a fact. You were born for this job, Mills. You kicked ass on truck, squad, and ambo.” 

“I made a choice. I don’t regret it.” Peter shrugged. “I loved this job, but I love working with my family, too.” 

“Does running a restaurant really give you the satisfaction this job did?” 

“No.” Peter admitted. “But it gives me a different kind.”

“Hey man, if you’re really happy with it, great.” Kelly shrugged. “I can’t imagine going from this to that, but that’s me.” 

“Yeah.” Peter nodded. “That’s you. Hey, I was looking for Casey, you seen him?” 

“He was checking inventory last I saw.” 

Peter headed for the apparatus floor to find Matt, stopping short when he saw another truck in front of the house. 

From the look on Matt’s face, Peter assumed that he knew, and didn’t like, the man approaching the house.

“Captain Casey.” 

“Lieutenant Grainger.” Matt nodded. “Can I help you with something?” 

“I was hoping to talk to Brett, but I can see 61 is out.” He replied. “Would you mind giving her this?” 

Matt grabbed the card he was holding. “Yeah, sure.” 

“Great, thanks. I’ll see you around, Captain.” 

Matt watched him walk away, then looked down at the card in his hand; for a second, Peter wasn’t sure he would not crumple it up and toss it, the way he was glaring at the paper, but he shoved it in his pocket. 

“Is everything okay?” 

“Yes.” 

“Bad call?” 

“No.” Matt refused to look over at Peter. “I’m fine.” 

“Maybe you should tell that to your face.” Peter quipped. “It doesn’t seem to know that. Maybe it has something to do with the Lieutenant giving you his number to give to Brett?” 

“You know what I said last night about respecting your nerve? I was wrong. I don’t respect it, it’s irritating.” Matt snapped. “And I’m not in the mood.” 

* * *

Matt was sitting at his desk, trying to focus on the paperwork in front of him, but kept getting distracted, glancing at the card the Lieutenant from Engine 40 had given him to give to Sylvie with his name and phone number on it. 

It had irritated Matt enough to watch the Lieutenant shamelessly flirt with Sylvie at the scene of the car crash both houses had been called to that morning; he’d never even met Grainger before, but the instant dislike was intense, and he knew it was entirely unjustified. 

Despite his jealousy, and the urge to toss it in the trash can, Matt fully intended to give Sylvie the card, just as soon he could actually talk to her; she’d been back to 51 for a few minutes at a time, but she’d been on calls most of the day, and the few times he’d seen her, she’d been at Peter’s side. 

He’d just glanced at the card again when he saw a flash of her newly pink hair, which he was definitely still getting used to, hurrying past his door.

“Brett.” Matt stood up, slipping the card back into pocket, stepping out into the bunk room. “Hold on a second.”

“I really don’t have time to talk.” Sylvie sighed. 

Matt ignored the sting of being brushed off, pulling the card out of his pocket. “Lieutenant Grainger from 40 came by, asked me to give you this.” 

“Oh.” Sylvie quickly grabbed the card from him and stepped backwards, putting space between them. “Thank you.” 

Matt nodded. “I’ll... talk to you later then.” 

“Yeah, later.” Sylvie rushed off, not stopping until she was in the bathroom, leaning against the counter; she’d seen Stella in the bunk room, so she wasn’t surprised when the door opened a few seconds behind her. 

“You okay?” 

“Fine.”

“I saw you talking to Casey just now and now you’re hiding in the bathroom, so somehow I doubt that.” Stella stated. 

“We weren’t really talking.” Sylvie sighed. “He was just giving me this.” 

Stella grabbed the card out of Sylvie’s hand as she held it up. “The hot Lieutenant from this morning?” 

“He has a name.” Sylvie rolled her eyes. 

“Yeah, but until you handed me this, I had no idea what it was.” Stella laughed. “Are you going to call him?” 

“I don’t know.” Sylvie sighed. “I’m not exactly in the headspace to be dating anybody.” 

“Maybe that’s exactly why you should be.” Stella stated. “The best way to get over someone is to get under someone, as the saying goes.”

“Stella!” Sylvie exclaimed. “Good lord.” 

“Look, as far as I’m concerned the person you should be getting under is Casey, but you’re the one saying it can’t work.” Stella shrugged. “So maybe hooking up with someone new isn’t a bad idea. If nothing else, it’s a distraction.” 

“I’m not really the hooking up for a distraction type.” 

“Do you want to tell me  _ why  _ you’re so convinced it won’t work?” 

Sylvie ignored the sting in her eyes, keeping her voice level. “He’s still in love with her.”

Stella’s eyebrows furrowed as she leaned against the counter next to Sylvie. “Did he say that?” 

“He didn’t deny it.” Sylvie took a deep breath and exhaled. “This is why I said I couldn’t feel this way about him.” 

“Look, I loved Gabby, and I know he did, but I don’t think it’s that simple.” 

“Why does everybody keep saying that?” Sylvie groaned. “It’s not that complicated.” 

“Here’s what I know, he’s been sulking around the apartment the past week.” Stella stated. “I wasn’t  _ living _ with him back when Gabby left, but I was  _ working  _ with him, and he’s been way more miserable. I might not have known why before last night, but I knew that much.”

“I know he cares about me, I’m not doubting that.”

“I know you know that. We all know that.” Stella rolled her eyes. “But what I’m saying is that just doesn’t feel like a man still in love with his ex.”

“Circling back to  _ he didn’t deny it. _ ” 

“Sylvie, listen.” Stella sighed. “Casey and Severide, they’re two sides of the same coin. And communication? Not their thing. They’re both… men of action. They aren’t good about talking about their feelings. Dating Severide has taught me patience.” 

Sylvie scoffed. “Yeah, but you didn’t have to worry about Severide still being in love with his ex.” 

“He didn’t say that.” Stella pointed out. “Doesn’t it seem worth trying to hear him out? Maybe he’s just not… expressing himself well.” 

“That’s also what Pete said.” 

“I mean, two people who know you both really well are saying it, maybe you should consider it.” Stella shrugged. “Think about his  _ actions,  _ not his words. What have his  _ actions _ shown you?” 

Sylvie thought about his  _ actions _ ; jumping out of a moving truck said  _ something _ , all the looks they’d exchanged when he was going into a dangerous situation, the way he’d looked straight to  _ her  _ when he was dangling from the aerial, the way he’d looked at her when they were on her couch that night. 

“I don’t know.” Sylvie sighed. “Like I said, I know he cares about me. That’s not enough.”

“The man jumped out of 81 while it was moving, Brett. He’s never done anything like that, at least not as long as I’ve known him.” Stella shrugged. “Just something to think about. Or hey, go out with the hot Lieutenant and get your mind off him. Only you can decide.” 

* * *

“Brett!” Cruz shouted from the Squad table as ambulance 61 returned from another call, which felt like their hundred that shift to Sylvie. “Have you reconsidered game night? I haven’t had the chance to ask Pete, but he’d probably be down.” 

Sylvie resisted the urge to sigh; she loved game night, but Matt hadn’t missed one yet, and it was one thing to be around him at work or Molly’s, but entirely different to be sitting on the couch next to him at Chloe and Cruz’s. 

“Um, maybe. I’ll ask him.” Sylvie shrugged. “What do you mean you haven’t had the chance to ask him? Where is he?” 

“He was out on the apron on the phone for ages, and he’s been chatting with Casey ever since.” Cruz shrugged. “They’re in his office.” 

Sylvie headed inside, stopping long enough to grab a mug of coffee before going into the bunk room; the curtains were drawn in Matt’s quarters, and the door pushed up but not closed. 

She intended to knock until heard the angry tone of their conversation; Sylvie decided to step back, come back later. 

“ _ You _ called me, you asked me to come.” 

Sylvie froze at Peter’s words; Matt had called him? That was why he was in Chicago?

“Yeah, I did.” Matt snapped. “For her. Because she wouldn’t talk to anybody here. Not for you to harass me about it.” 

She knew she should walk away, that she shouldn’t be eavesdropping, but she couldn’t seem to bring her feet to move. 

“Well, you wanted me to cheer her up, and I think the best way to do that is to make you realize you’re being stupid. Giving her space is the last thing you should do, man. It’s just making her assume she’s right about Gabby.” 

“God, you’re persistent.” Matt sighed. “I have no choice but to give her space right now, she barely speaks to me, she doesn’t even want to  _ look _ at me.” 

“I was joking last night when I said I would lock you two in a room, but if it resorts to that, I will.” Peter laughed. “It’s for your own good. Both of you. I’m pretty sure I could rope Cruz and Stella into helping, honestly.” 

Sylvie figured she had three choices; walk in and let them know she’d overheard it, walk in and pretend she hadn’t heard, or walk away. Hearing footsteps behind her, she made the split second decision and knocked. 

“Come in.” 

Sylvie stepped inside the room, and her eyes immediately landed on Peter. “Cruz and Chloe are hosting a game night tonight, we take turns every month, but I was wondering if you’d be interested in going?” 

“Yeah, sure.”

Sylvie glanced towards Matt. “Are you coming?” 

“Uh, I don’t know.” Matt hesitated. “I… I didn’t think you’d want me to come.” 

She hadn’t, but overhearing their conversation had confused her emotions more than they already were, something Sylvie hadn’t realized was even possible. 

“If you want to come, come.” Sylvie shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. “I’ve got to go to inventory, make sure we leave Ambo stocked for third shift, so… see you guys later.” 

* * *

Sighing as she sat down on her couch with a glass of wine, she decided  _ this  _ could be a new personal low; Sylvie had  _ chickened out.  _ On a game night with her closest friends. 

She’d thought she could handle being there with Matt, but the closer the time had gotten, the more she realized she wasn’t ready to face him. 

Instead, she insisted Peter should go while she ‘rested’ after a long shift; Sylvie knew he saw right through that excuse, but he hadn’t pushed, for which she was grateful. 

Sylvie replayed the conversation she’d overheard between Matt and Peter; she couldn’t say it surprised her that Matt had called Peter and asked him to come visit. It made sense. 

She had known he wasn’t being honest about why he was in Chicago, and going above and beyond to make sure she was okay was very much the Matt Casey way; it was one thing she loved about him. 

_Giving her space is the last thing you should do, man._ _It’s just making her assume she’s right about Gabby._

Peter’s words looped her mind; what had Matt told him? She wanted to ask him, but she knew he would tell her to talk to Matt. Just like she knew her secrets were safe with Pete, Matt’s would be too. 

The knock on her door made her head jerk towards it, then the clock; it was  _ far  _ too early for Peter to be back, he’d been gone less than an hour. 

Sylvie climbed off her couch, setting her wine glass down on the coffee table before crossing her living room, pulling the door open; Matt standing on the other side should have surprised it, but it didn’t. 

“You tell me I should come to game night, but then you don’t come yourself?” 

Sylvie sighed, opening the door the rest of the way, grabbing her wine off the table before leaning against her counter; she refused to sit on the couch with Matt, not after last time. It was bad enough she could barely look at the piece of furniture without replaying the night. 

“I didn’t feel like it.” 

“Didn’t feel like game night?” Matt was still standing by the door, as if he was hesitant to come inside any further. “Or didn’t feel like seeing me?” 

“Honestly?” Sylvie sighed. “Both.” 

Matt nodded, finally stepping in far enough in to close the door behind him; his eyes moved towards the couch, the memories of that night flashing through his head. 

When Matt looked at her, none of the hesitation she’d seen in his face a few seconds before was there, replaced with a look of determination. 

“I know you said you needed space, and I’ve been trying to respect that, but this is killing me, Sylvie.” Matt sighed, running his hand over his face. “So, please, can we talk about this some more? If you still want space afterwards, I’ll give it to you.” 

Sylvie hoped her voice and expression wouldn’t give away the fact her heart was beating wildly; trying to keep all of her emotions out of her tone and off her face, she nodded. “Okay.” 

“I hate that.” Matt resisted the urge to groan. 

“What?” 

“That… coldness and distance you’ve been giving me.” Matt sighed. “It’s… not you.” 

“I’m sorry.” Sylvie shrugged. “But it’s this or I’ll end up crying, and I’m tired of that.” 

Matt’s expression softened as he stepped closer. “I’m sorry.”

“What do you want to talk about, Matt?” 

“I feel like I keep saying the wrong thing, and I know I’m not expressing myself well.” Matt sighed. “This… isn’t my strong suit. It never has been, and I think at some point, with… her, I stopped trying. It didn’t matter, anyway.” 

Sylvie knew what he meant; even in her friendship with Gabby, there wasn’t room for debate. It was always Gabby’s way. 

“I’m not her.” Sylvie sighed. “I need you to  _ talk  _ to me, Matt. It matters to me.” 

“I know.” Matt crossed what space was left between them to lean against the counter next to her, shoulder to shoulder. “That’s one of the things I’ve always loved about our friendship. We could communicate and it was easy.” 

“Which just makes this more frustrating.” Sylvie took a deep breath and exhaled. “So let’s talk. Like we always have. Honestly and without overthinking what we’re about to say.” 

“Okay.” Matt agreed. “Gabby, that relationship, it’s not an issue for me, and I don’t know how to make it so it’s not one for you.” 

“Gabby isn’t the issue, Matt.” Sylvie sighed. “It’s whether you still have feelings for her that is.”

“Feelings for her?” Matt paused, choosing his words more carefully than he had throughout their past conversations - saying the first thing that came to mind hadn’t worked out too well for him. “I love Gabby, I always will have love for Gabby.”

She knew he wasn’t finished, but she  _ couldn’t _ hear him say he was still in love with her. “Are you still in love with her? Yes or no. No  _ it’s complicated.  _ And if the answer is yes, please don’t elaborate.” 

“No.” Matt promised. “Can I elaborate now?” 

If she had thought her heart was racing before, Sylvie was afraid it might beat out of her chest now; she took a deep breath to calm herself, which failed, and turned to face him. “Yes, please elaborate.” 

“Yes, part of me still loves Gabby. She was a part of my life for a long time, we went through a lot, and I learned a lot from our relationship. I wish her nothing but the best.” Matt turned to face her, looking directly in her eyes; Sylvie forced herself not to look away, no matter how anxious she felt. “But  _ no _ , I am not in love with her. I haven’t even thought about her, not in a long time. The only person on my mind has been you, Sylvie.” 

His words felt like a weight lifting off her shoulders, but it wasn’t completely  _ gone  _ yet; his hesitation from less than two weeks ago still fresh in her mind. “So if Gabby came back…” 

“I would wish her the best for her future, but it wouldn’t include me.” Matt smiled. “The only future I see for myself is with you, Sylvie.” 

Sylvie moved so quickly to close the few inches of space between them it caught him off guard, but Matt still reacted quick enough to keep them upright, despite the force they had connected with; her arms wrapped around his neck as his hands went down from her hips to pick her up, setting her on the counter, never breaking the kiss. 

They’d both thought their first kiss was  _ good,  _ but this kiss, with no hesitation or doubts looming over them, was incredible; Sylvie almost whimpered when he pulled away until his lips landed on her neck. 

Sylvie quickly decided there were too many layers between them, and started unbuttoning his shirt, shoving it off his shoulders; she slowly ran her hands down his chest until she reached his belt. 

“Matt.” She hadn’t meant for his name to sound so much like a moan, but as his lips moved closer to the neckline of her shirt, she couldn’t help herself. “Bedroom.” 

Matt pulled away to look at her face. “Are you sure?” 

Sylvie smiled, moving her hands to either side of his face. “I have no doubts, Matt. About anything. I’m all in. And yes, I am  _ absolutely  _ sure. Bedroom. Now.” 

“Well, if you insist.” Matt smirked, picking her up off the counter as she wrapped her legs around him. 

“Oh, I really do.” Sylvie grinned before kissing him again; Matt carried her across the apartment, kicking her bedroom door shut behind them, before laying her down on her bed. 

Matt stopped her as she reached for his belt, taking her hands in his; Sylvie sent him a questioning look. 

“Just so you know, I’m all in too.” 

Sylvie smiled. “I know.” 

* * *

Sylvie woke up to an empty bed, but the noise from her kitchen assured her Matt hadn’t gone far; she glanced at the clock before rolling over to climb out of bed. She pulled her robe on before shuffling out of her bedroom, well aware she had to look disheveled and sleepy. 

Matt was in the kitchen cooking, what she knew had to be bacon, based on the smell; he looked happy and relaxed, and seeing him at ease in her space made her happy. 

“You’re a morning person.” Sylvie remarked. 

His eyes shot up at the sound of her voice, a smile spreading across his face. 

“Honestly, normally, no.” Matt laughed. “My body wakes me up at the same time every day, and I usually go back to sleep, but I was starving.” 

“Worked up an appetite last night.” Sylvie smirked as she crossed over to the kitchen, pausing only long enough to kiss him before heading straight for the coffee pot, grateful he’d already made a pot. “I, for the record, am not a morning person. This is an ungodly hour to be awake on a day off.” 

“Noted.” Matt laughed. 

Sylvie poured herself a mug of coffee and leaned against the counter, glancing towards the couch, still made up with pillows and blankets. “Pete never came back last night?” 

“I assume he crashed with Severide and Stella again.” Matt shrugged. “That couch is a hell of a lot more comfortable than yours to sleep on, speaking from experience, no offense.” 

“I love my couch, but yeah, I know.” Sylvie laughed. “I better text him and check in.” 

Her phone was still on the coffee table where she’d left it when Matt had knocked on the door, right next to the half drank glass of wine; picking her phone up, she saw she had texts from Peter. 

_ Gonna crash at Casey & Severide’s place. Hope you have a good night.  _

The next message was just a winking emoji; Sylvie rolled her eyes as she typed out a message. 

_ I did have a good night, thanks. Wanna meet up for lunch?  _

It didn’t take longer than a few seconds for the three little dots showing he was typing to appear. 

_ Happy to hear it. Yeah, lunch sounds good. Just tell me when and where.  _ After Sylvie replied with a suggestion, another text came through.  _ Will Casey be joining us?  _

Again, another winking emoji. “I’m going to meet up with Pete for lunch later. Do you want to come?” 

“Yeah, sounds good.” 

Sylvie typed back a  _ yes _ , then sat her phone down. “He knew you were coming here?” 

“Well, I didn’t say so, but I’m sure he assumed.” Matt laughed. “I really should apologize to him. I’ve been kind of an ass this week when I know he was just trying to help. He’s just so persistent.” 

“He is.” Sylvie laughed as she sat down at the table. “It’s been great having him here though.” 

“Yeah, I know you’ve missed him.” 

“I have.” Sylvie knew she should probably admit that she had overheard them and knew Matt had called him, but she  _ was  _ curious if he’d admit it. “What do you think made him come to Chicago now?”

Matt paused what he was doing, looking over at her, and she was pretty there was a hint of a blush on his cheeks, which made Sylvie hide her grin behind her hand. 

“I, uh, called him and asked him to come.” He sounded nervous, as if he was afraid she’d be mad about it. “I just… you weren’t talking to anybody here about it and I knew that was to keep the peace at 51, and I figured seeing Pete would cheer you up.” 

“You were right.” Sylvie smiled, standing up so she could wrap her arms around his neck. “And it was very sweet of you to call him, but uh, full honesty, I knew that.”

“He said he wouldn’t tell you.” Matt laughed, wrapping his arms around her waist. 

“He didn’t.” She laughed. “But you should  _ really  _ close your office door if you don’t want people to hear.” 

“Oh, so you were eavesdropping.” Matt teased. “I can’t say anything, I guess. It was me eavesdropping on Kidd and Cruz that made me call Pete.” 

“Well, I guess if it all works out in the end, it’s okay that we both were a little rude.” Sylvie smirked. “You better flip those pancakes if you don’t want them to burn.” 

“Oh, crap.” Matt stepped away from her with a laugh. “If these are burnt, it’s because you distracted me.” 

Sylvie grinned, standing behind him to wrap her arms around him as she rested her head on his back. “Sorry.” 

“You never have to apologize for distracting me.” Matt’s back shook with laughter. “I definitely don’t mind the distraction.” 

“Noted.” Sylvie smiled. “Is breakfast almost ready? I need sustenance after last night.” 

* * *

“Sorry we’re late.” Sylvie exclaimed as they rushed towards the table on the patio where Peter was waiting; he looked up, smirking at them as they sat down. 

“No worries.” Peter laughed. “I take it from the hand holding and the fact  _ you  _ never made it back to your apartment last night that you two have worked out your issues.” 

“We did.” Matt put his arm around her shoulder, resting it on the back of the booth. 

“Glad to hear it.” Peter smiled. “Genuinely. I’m happy for you two.” 

“Thank you.” Sylvie smiled. “I guess you were right, too. Lack of communication, or miscommunication, was the real problem.” 

“I’m glad I could be of help.” Peter laughed. “I didn’t want to leave Chicago with you two still being idiots.” 

Sylvie pouted. “Are you sure you have to go? Can’t you just stay here?” 

“I promise I’ll come back and visit again soon.” 

“You better.” Sylvie stated. “Or I’m coming to North Carolina to find you and drag you back for a visit.” 

“I’m not sure I’m going to be in North Carolina.” Peter admitted. 

“What?” Matt asked. 

“I, uh, didn’t want to bring it up before.” Peter shifted in his seat. “I’ve… been in touch with Gabby for the last few months.”

“Seriously?” Sylvie exclaimed, right before the server walked up to take their drink orders; as soon as she was gone, Sylvie continued. “You’ve been in touch with Gabby?” 

“Yeah.” Peter nodded. “She reached out back in the fall, and she’s been trying to convince me to fly out, volunteer with her.”

“Oh.” Sylvie glanced towards Matt, who seemed unfazed by the news, then back to Peter. “You’re going to Puerto Rico?”

“The organization she’s working for is sending her to Indonesia. There was a big earthquake there a few days ago.” Peter explained. “I thought I might join. I really miss helping people, and I’d just… see how it goes, I guess.”

“I think that’s great.” Matt stated. “I’m sure you’ll really enjoy the work.” 

“So you and Gabby?” 

“Maybe.” Peter shrugged, looking towards Matt. “I was hesitant before. She kept telling me it was over with you, and she was over it, but it wasn’t until I got here and saw you two that I really believed it. Like I said, I’ll see how it goes.” 

“I think that’s great.” Sylvie smiled. “If it makes you happy, I say go for it.” 

“Is it weird?” Peter directed the question towards Matt. 

“Not for me.” Matt laughed. “I’m happy. I wish her the best, and you two always made sense, probably more than we ever did. She needs somebody that’ll push back, someone that doesn’t back down or cave at every little thing, and that’s  _ definitely  _ you.” 

Peter laughed. “So, someone stubborn, you mean?” 

“Exactly.” 

Sylvie shoved Matt’s shoulder playfully. “Don’t be rude.” 

The server reappeared with their drinks, ready to take their food orders. 

“Okay, so what do you want to do with your last day in Chicago?”

“I figured Molly’s tonight, and then I’d crash at your place.” Peter shrugged. “Other than that, I’m up for anything.” 

“Or, because speaking from personal experience, I know Sylvie’s couch is the _worst,_ you could both just stay over at our place.” Matt suggested. 

“Sounds good to me.” Peter agreed. “There’s not a lot open these days. We could just hang out and watch some movies?” 

“You sure there’s nothing you want to do?” Sylvie asked. 

“I came here to see my friends, not the sights.” 

“I know you came because Matt called.” Sylvie laughed. 

“Oh, you  _ did  _ tell her.” 

“Nope.” Matt laughed. “She eavesdropped on us.” 

“Not intentionally.” Sylvie exclaimed. “But seriously, it means the world to me that you dropped everything and came out here to see me.” 

“Anytime, Brett.” Peter smiled, then turned his head towards Matt. “But if I have to come back here again because she’s heartbroken over you, I will kick your ass.” 

“I believe you.” Matt laughed, then kissed the side of Sylvie’s head. “You won’t have to.” 

* * *

She would not cry, Sylvie promised herself; she’d already made Peter promise to come back for a visit within six months. 

She would  _ not  _ cry saying goodbye, not while standing in Kelly, Stella, and Matt’s living room at seven in the morning, already dressed for shift; she refused. 

“You change your mind about Indonesia, or you and Gabby blow up again, you-” 

“Kelly!” Stella exclaimed. 

“I’m not saying I hope it does! I’m just saying, if it does, get your ass back to Chicago.” Kelly laughed, pulling Peter into a hug. “We miss you around here.” 

“Thanks, Lieutenant.” Peter laughed. 

“It was really great meeting you, Pete.” Stella grinned. “Tell Gabby I said hi. And we’ll see you around soon, I’m sure. Sylvie will track you down otherwise.”

“She won’t have to.” Peter grinned. “I’ll be back.” 

As Kelly and Stella waved their goodbyes and headed out of the apartment, Matt stepped forward to hug Peter. 

“It was good having you back, Mills.” 

“It was good being back.” 

“Sorry if I was a bit of an ass while you were here.” Matt laughed. “I appreciate you trying to help.” 

“Trying?” Peter smirked. “I  _ did  _ help. You’re welcome.” 

“Yeah, okay. Thanks.” Matt laughed. “Good luck in Indonesia. Stay safe.” 

“I survived three years at 51, I’m sure I’ll be fine.” 

“Fair enough.” Matt agreed, reaching for the bag on Sylvie’s shoulder. “I’ll wait for you down at the truck, give you two a minute.” 

“Thanks.” Sylvie handed him her bag; once Matt was out of the apartment, she turned her attention to Peter. “I’m gonna miss you. I forgot how much I missed you when you first left.” 

“I promise, I’ll come back soon.” Peter smiled. “No more waiting years for a visit.” 

“Good.” Sylvie nodded. “You’re always going to be my partner in my mind, you know that? Always.” 

Peter pulled her into a tight hug. “Right back at you, partner.”

“I really hope everything works out for you in Indonesia, with Gabby.” Sylvie smiled. “You deserve it.” 

“And I hope everything works out here, with Matt. And I wasn’t kidding yesterday, okay? He does anything stupid, call me, and I’m on the next plane to Chicago to kick his ass.” 

“Eh, I don’t think that’ll be a problem.” Sylvie laughed. “But it’s good to know. If nothing else, I can lie to get you back here.” 

“You’re a terrible liar.” 

“Yeah, I know.” Sylvie sighed. “We better head out of here before I start crying on you.”

“Before we do -” Peter walked over to the couch, unzipping his duffle bag. “I didn’t have time to wrap it, but I’m told Sharky didn’t survive the ambulance crash.” 

Sylvie grinned, taking the box from him; it looked almost identical to her old one, only this one was holding a Ukulele. “Another Sharky?” 

“It’s not exactly the same one, but yeah.” Peter shrugged. 

“I love it.” Sylvie grinned, hugging him again. “And I love you, Pete.” 

“Love you too, partner.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! I loved reading everybody's comments, agreeing with me about missing Peter Mills. #BringBackMills2k21! Ha! We can only wish.
> 
> Anyways, as always, you can find me on tumblr (atiredfangirl) or on twitter (@chifirefangirl).

**Author's Note:**

> okay, the hair color thing, I just rewatched the episode where she talked about doing it and I couldn't help myself. 
> 
> Part two coming hopefully tomorrow! Hope you enjoyed part 1!


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